Writer Sarah Aboobacker wins plagiarism case
Mangaluru: Noted Kannada writer Sarah Aboobacker has won a legal battle against the makers of the 2011 national award-winning film 'Byari,' which she claimed was based on her much-acclaimed novel 'Chandragiriya Teeradalli.'
'Byari,' the first film in Beary language, directed by K P Suveeran and produced by Altaf Hussain, had won the Swarna Kamal for best film at the 59th national film awards.
Hussain also plays a character in a prominent role in the film.
She had moved the court against the film's producer and director saying the movie makers had used her story without permission.
Upholding her contention, the third additional district and sessions court here in its judgement directed Altaf Hussain, the producer, not to screen the movie anywhere henceforth.
The Judge B Muralidhar Pai noted that there was an infringement of her intellectual property rights.
It also directed the film makers to pay a compensation of Rs 2 lakh with interest for the period of trial in the case (eight years and 12 days) along with court costs.
The writer, in a press note here said her novel was published as a serial in 'Lankesh Patrike' and had been widely read with passion and much debated.
The brazen act of the film-makers in using her novel for the film without taking permission forced her to approach the court for justice, she said.
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Kerala HC stays single judge order putting on hold release of 'The Kerala Story 2' film
Kochi (PTI): The Kerala High Court on Friday stayed for two weeks its single judge's interim order putting on hold for 15 days the release of 'The Kerala Story 2-Goes Beyond' film.
A bench of justices Sushrut Arvind Dharmadhikari and P V Balakrishnan passed the order on the appeal moved by the film's producer Vipul Amrutlal Shah late Thursday night, hours after the movie's release was stayed.
The bench had reserved order in the appeal on Thursday night.
The detailed order is awaited.
Shah in his appeal had claimed that the film does not harm or denigrate the state of Kerala or any religious community.
"The film only portrays a social evil," his lawyers had told the court.
Shah had also contended that if the film's release was put on hold, it would "financially finish" the producers as the movie is set to be screened in 1,500 theatres in India and over 300 abroad on February 27.
The single judge had stayed the release of the film on the ground that prima facie there was a manifest non-application of mind to the requirement of law by the censor board, CBFC.
The judge also said that "the possibility of communal disharmony or denigration of a community also being prima facie involved in the movie", its release without scrutiny by the higher authorities would be legally improper.
The court had further said that the content of the film's teaser has "a prima facie potential to distort public perception and disturb communal harmony".
